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Git Integration in VSCode

Welcome to another Bite-Sized tutorial! Today, we’ll walk you through how to use Git and GitHub directly inside VSCode.

Cloning a Repo in VSCode​

  1. Head over to your GitHub repository in your browser.

  2. Click the green Code button, make sure HTTPS is selected, and copy the URL. It should look like:

    https://github.com/your-username/your-repo-name.git

  3. Open VSCode and press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac) to open the Command Palette.

  4. Type:

    Git: Clone

  5. Paste your repository URL, choose a local folder, and click Open when prompted.

  6. VSCode will clone the repo, download its data to your local folder, then reload with your new project ready to go.

Activating or Creating a Virtual Environment​

If the project already has a virtual environment folder (usually called env or venv), activate it by opening the terminal (Ctrl + `) and typing:

  • On Windows:

    .\env\Scripts\activate

  • On macOS/Linux:

    source env/bin/activate

If there’s no virtual environment yet, create one with:

python -m venv env

Then activate it using the same commands above for your system.

Tip: Once activated, you’ll see the environment’s name in your terminal prompt. If VSCode asks you to select the Python interpreter, pick the one inside your env folder.

Making a Change​

Let’s make a small edit, for example, update the README file. After saving, VSCode will detect your change.

Committing the Change​

  1. Open the Source Control tab on the left or press Ctrl+Shift+G.

  2. You’ll see your changed file listed.

  3. Write a commit message like:

    Update README

  4. Click the checkmark icon above to commit.

Pushing to GitHub​

To push your commit, click Sync Changes either in the Source Control tab or the status bar. The first time you might be asked to sign into GitHub—just follow the prompts.

VSCode handles the rest!

Additional Resources​

What’s Next?​

You just cloned a repo, set up your environment, made a change, and pushed it—all from VSCode!

This is a workflow you’ll use repeatedly to keep your projects tidy and efficient.

Check out our other tutorials and the additional info below the video to learn even more.

Thanks for watching!